TARGETING THE TEEN MARKET: This is Target’s fifth year of collaboration with top designers, and to celebrate the anniversary, the store has asked 17 past participants in the Go International program to design a series of dresses for a special Designer Collective which will be launched this March. The Collective will feature 34 dresses and will represent the large variety of styles and designs that Target has promoted over the last five years. .

When it began, in 2006, Go International was Target’s marketing initiative aimed at capturing more teenage dollars.

At first, each designer was available for three months in the stores. In order to keep things fresh, the store later cut that time to 45 days. Alexander McQueen, Anna Sui, and Jean Paul Gaultier are just a few of the illustrious international designers who have been part of the collaborative.

Target has also developed a jewelry and accessories category for the Go International program, and has featured items from Mulberry, Temple St. Clair, Anna Sheffield and Miss Trish of Capri.

GOOD NEWS FOR THE SANTA SEASON: The National Retail Foundation expects a 2.3 percent uptick on holiday sales this year, putting it at a total of $447.1 billion. And, in a survey by the Cotton Inc. Lifestyle Monitor, the majority of women plan to spend about the same thing on holiday gifts this year as last, while 8 percent say they will spend more. The survey also found that 72 percent of women who buy gifts plan to purchase gift cards, 58 percent will purchase apparel, 50 percent will buy toys, and 30 percent will spend on fashion accessories.

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